>I think in the future they will consider us in the past complete idiots for using lead for anything except /maybe/ radiation shielding because of the neurotoxi

>I think in the future they will consider us in the past complete idiots for using lead for anything except /maybe/ radiation shielding because of the neurotoxic effects Lead has a bunch of important uses, such as for solder (lead-free solder has problems with growing tin whiskers and is more brittle, so leaded solder is still used for safety-critical applications). It's safe as long as it's handled safely (e.g., don't do things that will make it airborne and then breathe it!), just like any other toxic substance. There's many, many materials that are highly toxic and dangerous, but are extremely useful, so you just need to handle them safely.